When I lived in Japan, I never had a car. When I started going back in 2006 to visit Rie, I started driving her car. I was very nervous because the drive on the left side of the road. It took me a while to get used to it. I just kept repeating "Stay left, stay left" to myself as I drove. Now, when I go back to Japan, I can hop in the car and don't even think twice about it. I am glad I can switch back and forth without effort, because I am Rie's mother's preferred driver when we head to town.
Back here in Korea, the traffic is just as crazy as always, but I am figuring out the patterns, so it does not seem as dangerous as before. One thing that still scares me is sharing the sidewalks with scooters and motorcycles. If the traffic seems easier up with the pedestrians, they weave in and out among us. It is not unheard of for shoppers to get rammed by a scooter as they step onto the sidewalk from a store.
At busy roads, we wait for the little green man to light up and tell us it is safe to cross the road. Some of the signs even count down the seconds, so you know how long you have. But, when they count down here, they are serious. After the count gets to down to 1, the lighted man turns red. At that very same instant the cars get a green light and start gunning for you. There is no leeway what so ever.
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